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Israel Watch
ISRAEL WATCH
February 2010
PRAY FOR THE
PEACE OF JERUSALEM
By Dr. David R. Wood
Greetings to all who visit this
website, I pray that it empowers you for the work of ministry. We greet you in
the name of our Lord and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is my distinct
honor and privilege to honor and minister to the city of Jerusalem, the people
of Israel (Jews everywhere) and the land of Israel. This city, this people and
this land are the apple of God’s eye; they are the first covenant people. The
seed of Abraham is Jesus. Abraham is the first Jew, the sentinel Jew, therefore
Jesus is a Jew. Jesus was born to Jewish parents, raised in Israel and the
Israeli culture and ministered to His brethren first. He is the stone the
founders rejected. Now just because they, the founders, the Old Covenant
Church, rejected Him does not mean they are without a covenant nor that they are
replaced by the Church or that they do not have an eternal place in the plan of
God. They indeed do. Scripture says that in the end all of Israel will be
saved. I will have more to say regarding these topics in the coming months.
Today we are going to focus on Jerusalem. We are told to pray for the peace of
Jerusalem.
Psalms 122:6 (KJV)
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
This seems pretty clear. So why do
so many Christians and whole Churches ignore Jerusalem, the Jewish people and
the nation of Israel? The basic answer is a lack of teaching. We the Church
fail to see the relevance to us, never mind the clear command of God to pray for
the peace of Jerusalem. There is a doctrine of Demons that says the Church has
replaced Israel in God’s plan. Hog wash! Listen to what Paul writes to the
Christians at Rome.
Romans 11:25-29 (KJV)
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is
happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall
come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away
their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes:
but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Listen to what God says to Abraham
when He is about to conclude the blood covenant between Him, Abraham and Jesus.
Genesis 17:7 (KJV)
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed
after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God
unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
I wonder how long everlasting is?
Let us re-examine our text.
Psalms 122:6 (KJV)
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
David directed of the Holy Spirit is
telling or commanding us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And if we do with
a love motive then we shall prosper. Do you want to prosper? So are you
praying for the peace of Jerusalem? Now our prayer is not a puny thing along
the line of if it be your will then let there be peace in Jerusalem. The will
of God is known here and His will is peace in Jerusalem. Most of the time when
God’s people pray it is from a stance of asking for something with a question in
their mind of God’s will. No, no no! You are to declare the peace of
Jerusalem! Be bold; declare the tranquility and wholeness of that Holy City.
That city shall not be divided in Jesus name. When we do that because we love
God and we love the people of Jerusalem it shall be and you will prosper. Now
let us move on further in this Psalm.
Psalms 122:6-9 (KJV)
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy
palaces.
8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be
within thee.
9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.
Notice in verse seven we are to go
on and declare peace (tranquility and wholeness) within the borders of the city
and in each home. That city will not be divided, I don’t care who says it will
be divided or how often they say it. I have declared it, you declare it in
agreement.
In verse eight the Patriarch David
writes that we are to do this for our brethren and companions sakes. Our
brethren are our brothers and sisters in the Church and our companions the
Jewish people. Wow, so this is a benefit for me personally but also for my
brothers and sisters in the Church and of course the people of Jerusalem and
Israel. The Jewish people at this point in time can not cause tranquility or
wholeness to exist in Jerusalem or in Israel. This people have preserved the
Word of God for millennia. They do not have the authority in the earth we enjoy
because they have rejected Jesus their Messiah and ours. But praise the Lord we
the Church have the privilege to stand up in their defense and tell the devil,
not yet buddy. In the time of Jacobs trouble the nation of Israel and Jerusalem
will be overrun (Zechariah 14:1-7) but Jesus with the armies of Heaven will
appear as a flaming fire (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8) and all of Israel will be saved
(Romans 11:26). Understand that we will be judged individually as well as a
nation for how we treat Israel. (Mathew 25:31-46) The end of verse eight again
instructs us to declare the peace (shalom) of Jerusalem.
When we move into verse nine it is
clear that even our Church will benefit from declaring the will of God. Because
we are the Church, because we walk in love, because we love God and this is His
city and people we can not be still! When we declare the will of God
performance of that Word is not a crap shoot but a certainty. God will perform
His word (Jeremiah 1:12). The God of the Jewish people is the same God we
worship. The difference is that they are blinded to the redemption by the blood
of Jesus. They are blinded for a season that we the gentiles may be saved. We,
the gentiles have been grafted into the root and fatness of the olive tree. To
not declare the peace of Jerusalem is sin for it is disobedience. Sin results
in death (Romans 6:23). The benefits are prosperity or wholeness for us
individually but also all of the Jewish people and the Church benefit and the
Church of the Lord our God will prosper. Where is the downside here?
Now I want to point out a little
more truth.
Psalms 122:1-9 (KJV)
1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the
LORD.
2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:
4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the
testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.
5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of
David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
7 Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy
palaces.
8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be
within thee.
9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.
This Psalm is what is called a Psalm
of ascent. This was a song the people sang as they were walking to Jerusalem
for the various feasts of the Lord. In the second verse the word stand does not
belong there and is added by the reasoning of the translators. It should read,
“Our feet stand”. They were calling those things that are not as though they
were. These were people of faith.
Verse three tells us that “Jerusalem
is builded as a city that is compact together:” I used to think this was simply
referring to the narrow streets with houses abutting one another. It is much
more. This is referring to the Heavenly Jerusalem above and the earthly
Jerusalem below. Where was Jacobs’s ladder going? It was going to the Heavenly
Jerusalem. The eternal home of the Jew will be earthly Jerusalem and Israel.
The eternal home of the ekklesia (Church) is the Heavenly Jerusalem. Notice
these are compact together. We are and will forever have a connection to the
Jewish people.
Christians United for Israel (cufi.org)
has declared Sunday, May 23, 2010 as Christians United for Israel Sunday. Go to
there website to register. I encourage all Christians to not only declare the
peace of Jerusalem and Israel but then on a daily basis (yes daily) thank God
for performing His oath. I strongly encourage you all to honor Jerusalem, the
Jewish people and Israel Sunday May 23, 2010. Do it in love and the blessing of
God will catch up with you and overflow in your life.
Until next time:
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
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